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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tear — from crying
  5. charge — in control
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. tear — to rip
  11. charge — a price
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — electricity
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hand — in cards
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. roll — a list
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com